Golf ball comprising a very-low melt flow inner cover layer composition

• US 9,925,417 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bulpett, David A., Blink, Robert, Binette, Mark L., Comeau, Brian, Sullivan, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US14/799,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20150314168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 473370, 473374, 473376
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0044 Hardness gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0048 Melt flow rate [MFR]
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0063 Hardness gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00922 whereby hardness of the cover is lower than hardness of the intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023

Abstract

A golf ball including a core; an inner cover layer formed from a thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of about 0.005 inches to 0.40 inches and a surface hardness of about 60 Shore D or greater; and an outer cover layer formed from a thermoset material and having a thickness of about 0.01 inches to 0.05 inches and a surface hardness of about 60 Shore D or less. The thermoplastic composition has a first melt flow index at 280° C. under a 10-kg load of less than about 35 g/10 min and a second melt flow index at 265° C. under a 5-kg load of less than about 10 g/10 min.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

an inner cover layer comprising a thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of about 0.005 inches to about 0.40 inches and a surface hardness of about 70 Shore D or less; and

an outer cover layer comprising a thermoset material and having a thickness of about 0.01 inches to about 0.075 inches and a surface hardness of about 20 Shore D to about 60 Shore D;

wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises a first melt flow index at 280°

C. under a 10-kg load of less than about 35 g/10 min and a second melt flow index at 265°

C. under a 5-kg load of less than about 10 g/10 min.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first melt flow index is about 20 g/10 min or less.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the first melt flow index is about 10 g/10 min or less.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the second melt flow index is about 5 g/10 min or less.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition has a third melt flow index at 190°

C. under a 2.16-kg load of less than about 2 g/10 min.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the third melt flow index at is less than about 1 g/10 min.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises an ionomer.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the ionomer is neutralized by a metal cation to 70 wt % or greater.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the ionomer is neutralized by a metal cation to 80 wt % or greater.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the ionomer is neutralized by a metal cation to 90 wt % or greater.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises an amine or a peroxide compound.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition has been treated with radiation.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises an ionomer and a higher-melting-temperature thermoplastic resin.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises an ionomer and a reactive polymer.

15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an inner core and an outer core layer.